Skip to main content
Kalam
Open Board
//

A simple communication board for people who cannot speak easily.

Use it by touch, keyboard, or single switch — build a message and speak it aloud.

Open Communication Board

Opens instantly in your browser. No account or setup required.

Install it on a tablet or iPad and use it like a regular app.

Losing speech is one of the hardest parts of ALS and conditions like it — for the person living it, and for those beside them. Kalam is a simple way to keep communicating, built from our own experience.

The Kalam communication board

Ready to try it? It opens straight in your browser — no account, and nothing leaves your device.

Open Communication BoardWhat you need →

At a glance

Free

No account or subscription. Kalam costs nothing to use.

Private and offline

Works without internet once installed. No tracking or data collection; everything stays on the device.

Touch, keyboard, or switch

Use touch, a keyboard, an inexpensive Bluetooth remote, a game controller, a foot pedal, or an adaptive switch.

Build, spell, and speak

Select phrases, spell any word, speak messages aloud, and customize labels and names around the person.

What you need

Use Kalam on a tablet, laptop, or desktop with a modern browser. A 10-inch tablet or larger is recommended; the communication board is not designed for phones.

Touch requires no additional equipment. If you have a keyboard, you already have a switch.

For one-switch access:

  • Bluetooth camera remote or selfie clicker — $5–20 online, available worldwide.
  • Game controller or USB foot pedal.
  • Specialized one-button adaptive switch, when available.

What is a switch? →

Could Kalam work for us?

Kalam is designed for people whose speech has become difficult, tiring, unreliable, or lost because of ALS, stroke, or a similar condition. It can also be introduced earlier as a backup, while the person can still help choose vocabulary and become familiar with the board.

Kalam may be suitable when

  • The person can reliably use touch, a keyboard, or a single switch.
  • They can see and understand the choices on the board.
  • Someone can help set it up at first.
  • A tablet or computer is available.

Kalam may not be sufficient when

  • The person cannot reliably activate any of the supported inputs.
  • Eye gaze access is currently needed.
  • The person cannot navigate a board, visually or cognitively.
  • Communication needs call for a professional AAC assessment beyond what Kalam offers.

Kalam does not currently support eye gaze. Eye-gaze and webcam-based access remain on the roadmap.

Our story

Kalam began as a tool for one person we love, as ALS took their speech — a way to keep a thought from staying trapped inside. We are sharing it in case it helps yours.

Read the full story →

Important to know

Kalam is a communication aid only.

Important Information →

Get in touch

Questions, an idea, or a resource we should add? We read every message.

[email protected]